The Covid outbreak in Thailand in Samut Sakhon province is prompting authorities to test thousands

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The outbreak started in a shrimp market in Samut Sakhon, a province southwest of Bangkok and a center of the fishing industry where thousands of migrant workers live.

Four cases were reported there on Friday, and that number had jumped to 689 on Sunday, the health ministry said. Thailand had previously controlled the epidemic, registering about 5,000 cases of Covid-19.

“Today is just the first phase,” Kiattiphum Wongrajit, the permanent secretary of the ministry, told a news conference. “Further results will show many more infections.”

He said up to 40,000 people would be tested in Samut Sakhon and nearby counties, with more than 10,000 tests due by Wednesday.

Migrant workers, mainly from Myanmar, lined up for tests on Sunday, along with some Thais. Most of the cases identified so far have been asymptomatic, health officials said.

Barbed wire lined the market on Sunday when authorities in Bangkok ordered all schools in three districts in the capital bordering Samut Sakhon, 45 kilometers by road, to be closed until January 4.

The province will remain under lockdown and nightly curfews until Jan. 3, and Kiattiphum said the ministry expects to get the situation under control within two to four weeks.

People are lining up to get Covid-19 tests in Samut Sakhon, Thailand, on Sunday, December 20, 2020.

‘We must break the epidemic cycle’

Thailand, the first country outside of China to report Covid-19 cases, has so far reported only 60 deaths from coronavirus among its 70 million residents. That means Thailand has one of the lowest coronavirus mortality rates per capita in the world, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
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Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha posted on his Facebook account: “We will have to break the epidemic cycle quickly. We already have experience in tackling it.”

Bangkok authorities also called on people to take preventive measures by avoiding gatherings, while entertainment venues and restaurants should respect social distance.

Organizers of New Year’s celebrations were told to obtain official permission to continue, while companies were urged to let staff work from home if possible.

Neighboring Cambodia has now imposed stricter requirements on people entering the country from Thailand.

Somsak Paneetatyasai, chairman of the Thai Shrimp Association, said the outbreak was bad news for shrimp exports, 30% of which comes from Samut Sakhon. Thailand is one of the top 10 shrimp exporters in the world.

The rise in coronavirus cases comes as Thailand tries to revive a pandemic-ravaged tourism industry. On Thursday, Thailand relaxed its restrictions to allow more foreign tourists to return.

In late March, when the caseload was close to 1000, the Thai government declared a state of emergency and banned all non-resident foreigners from entering. The border fence helped protect the country, but it also dealt a massive blow to the tourism industry, which normally contributes nearly 15% of Thailand’s GDP, according to the World Bank.

Additional reporting by CNNs Kocha Olarn and Nectar Gan.

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